By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) an International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD , federal government and Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, assisted project in the Niger Delta has recruited 717 youths and women for agriculture mentorship training programme in Bayelsa State.

Speaking at the orientation ceremony for the enrolled participants held at the Yenagoa City Council Hall, yesterday, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof Bekes Sese, said the state government is particularly interested in the incubator/incubatee model of agricultural training and entrepreneurship initiative of LIFE-ND.

The commissioner said considering the fact that the beneficiaries were carefully selected, expressed the belief that they will make the most impact.

His words: “The idea of this programme is to improve the lives of our youths and women including the vulnerable groups. When I had the opportunity to tour round LIFE -ND projects early last year, I came in contact with young boys and young girls who have made very good use of the opportunity.

“At the end of the programme we are expecting all the beneficiaries to be fully grounded and knowledgeable about their commodity enterprise of interest and the project partners will provide funds and inputs for you to go and start your own enterprise.

“And the essence of the programme is for you to make the best use of it to become business men and women and entrepreneurs producing food and making money out of it. I want to believe that you are fully prepared for the task ahead.

“I want to tell you today that the governor is personally interested in this programme..I am certain that with the efforts that was put in to recruit these young men and women, I believe very strongly that you are going to make the most impact in the project.”

“We want to reinforce this incubator and incubatee model and ensure that its deliver the objective that iit is meant, I believe very strongly now that the trajectory we are now is to improve agriculture in Bayelsa State.”

Also speaking, the State Project Coordinator, LIFE-ND Bayelsa State, Mr. Kester Amos, implored the beneficiaries to be patient and committed in the course of their training, adding that LIFE-ND is committed to supporting the beneficiaries to succeed.

He said: “This additional financing is going to add to what is on ground in the last six years which was the first phase of the project, a lot have been done and this additional financing is to improved on what has been done.

“In this batch, we were able to reach out to communities that have not benefitted from this Programme in the last six years so that they can also benefit this while it is called additional financing.and we aer working in six local government areas.

“We need people who are patient and committed and we from our end we are committed to supporting you , and we ensure that we will do the very best we can to make you succeed.”

In her remark, the Agricbusiness Promotion Coordinator, LIFE -ND, Mrs Anthonia Esenwa, said the orientation exercise was to expose the beneficiaries to memorandum of understanding and other conditions of the programme.

She commended the performance of Bayelsa State in the past six years of LIFE-ND existence. “We started since 2020, I will say that Bayelsa State is doing well and we have quite a number of our champions here and as far as I am concerned, measuring the performance of the project is the number of the beneficiaries that are still in business and doing well, that is what matters and Bayelsa State have such people,” she said.

A beneficiary Mr Pedro Adukpo-egi, a graduate of Niger Delta University, NDU, commended the implementation of the project in the Niger Delta, saying that it will change the wrong narrative and perception of Niger Delta youths.

He said: “As a beneficiary we have been told that food security in our nation is under threat, this initiative will help us balance the scale of food production and distribution across the country and in Bayelsa State we are expecting that this initiative also will will ensure food security in the state.

“I will work with all of my and strength, give it my dedication and time that as the name implies “livelihood” that I create a livelihood for myself, ensure that people see Niger Delta people differently because people see Niger Delta youths as seen as people who do not have vision or focus, but this Programme is going to enable us to prove them wrong and show the difference in the society.”